Children's Games
by Dudette Mal
Summary: Gareki breaks his ID in a battle and Hirato and Akari find themselves with a pair of toddlers. (Mentions of past!Yoreki; puppy love!Yoreki; future!Hirakari)


The two small children didn't move a millimetre under Akari's scrutinizing gaze. Well, at least no more than shifting their weight from one foot to the other. The smaller one, Akari was sure it had nothing to do with younger, hid slightly.

From the corners of his eyes, he was sure to see an amused and _gentle _smile settle on Hirato's lips. The taller boy threw a short gaze at the small black haired one before standing calm and raising his voice to a normal tone. "Sensei, would you mind telling us why you look at us so oddly?"

Akari waited a moment before answering. "I was under the impression that the two of you were older the last time I saw you," he answered calmly. "Would you mind letting yourself examined?"

Yogi shrugged slightly without really thinking, but when he felt the other boy flinch slightly, he shook his head immediately. "Yes," he told him, "I would mind as would he." Then he grabbed the other child's hand and pulled him with himself down the floor.

Akari threw Hirato a steady gaze. "Bring them back."

Hirato smirked slightly, "They are quite adorable, don't you think so, Akari?"

* * *

The taller boy only let go of the smaller one's hand when they were in the safety of an unused room. "Are you alright?" he asked a happy, but somewhat concerned smile on his lips. "I'm Yogi by the way!"

At his niceties, the smaller one's eyes averted his. "…Fine…" he answered after a short break.

Yogi shifted his weight and leaned forward to catch his eyes once again. "That's great!" he exclaimed. "The doctor sure was scaaary, wasn't he?" When the smaller boy nodded, he hugged him tightly. "As soon as my father learns that we're here he'll bring us to Rimhakka! You've got nothing to fear there."

A small smile appeared on the smaller one's lips and Yogi hugged him even tighter. "There is the smile we were all waiting for and it's so pretty too!" He continued snuggling further into the warm body until he felt the other's arms carefully warp around his waist, then he pressed a careful kiss on the temple and simply stayed until the door opened again.

"There you are", Hirato raised his (very) amused voice. "It is no behaviour for a prince to just walk away, Yogi."

This was the moment, in which the smaller one's arms immediately left Yogi and he tried to bring space between them, eyes slightly teary. "I—I…"

But Yogi didn't keep the space, he stepped closer once more. "Shhh…" Moreover, he warped his arms around the slightly trembling body. "Everything is fine…" he tried to smooth him while his hand gently stoked down his back.

"But—" the smaller boy began again.

Now Hirato stopped him from continuing. "It's lunch time. What do you think boys? Do you want to let Akari-sensei wait for a bit more?"

Yogi nodded. "That sounds good, what do you think,… I never caught your name…"

The little boy never looked into his eyes while he mumbled, "…don't have one…"

"Everybody has a name!" Yogi exclaimed confused and even let go of him, his hands on the small shoulders, slightly shaking. "I told you mine too…"

There was a conflict visible in the light blue eyes. "I'm not lying…"

"How about 'Gareki'?" Hirato proposed gently.

Both boy's gazes were on him. "Gareki…?" they asked at the same time, albeit with completely different intonations. While Yogi seemed even more confused by Hirato's agreement about the missing name, the just named boy seemed hopeful, then he added, "That sounds nice…"

"Come on then, _Gareki_-kun and _Yogi_-kun, time for lunch." The boys followed without hesitation.

* * *

Yogi was precise with his likings in food, declined the foods he didn't like, used the right cutlery for every food, but still enjoyed sweets the most. Gareki was a stark contrast. He took whatever he was offered, there weren't special likes he voiced. He wasn't picky at all, he thanked with a gleam in his eyes that supposed it wasn't normal he was offered food as much as he wanted. Hirato's eyes were narrowed as he watched the boys. Yogi eating plenty and, what surprised him as much as his behaviour earlier, he was eating balanced. Gareki wasn't eating as much, eyes at times meeting Hirato's or Yogi's looking for a silent assurance that it was fine to eat that much.

Hirato put on a good face on the matter and said, "After this we should go to Akari and get you checked out. Afterwards we can maybe go to the playroom."

Yogi looked up from his food and swallowed before answering. "That sounds acceptable. What do you think, Gareki?" Gareki merely nodded and Yogi repeated, "That will be acceptable."

* * *

Yogi pulled out a lot toy boxes and littered the floor with them to which Akari raised an eyebrow, but didn't say a thing. He just continued writing reports. Gareki sat on the floor just looking on the toys without touching. Yogi decided for him, "You play with this one."

Gareki looked at the Niji soft toy in his hands and nodded slightly.

* * *

Eventually, Yogi leaned against the wall, cuddled into the cat he had mostly played with and watched Gareki with dropping eyes. Gareki had started to sort the soft toys back into their boxes and was quite far when Akari called his name. "I believe this is the half. Yogi can tidy up the rest."

Gareki blinked, before he shook his head. "It's my task, you gave me food and medicaments. It's the least I can do…"

Akari stood up and went to the bookshelf, before he pulled out one book from the shelf, which was placed higher. "Then you get a task from me. This might be a bit difficult, but I want you to memorize the first chapter. You know how to read or am I wrong?"

The small boy nodded and took the offered book. "I will do that right now!" Akari nodded with a slight smile at his future apprentice.

Yogi looked up in astonishment, but then he stood up and finished tidying up. His movements and his mood less enthusiastic than Gareki's, he seemed downright bored while Gareki had worn the careful expression of duty, Akari had known so well. The petit prince didn't put away the stuffed cat he had favoured while playing, instead he took it back to where Gareki sat in the ground and got comfortable. "You like reading a lot, don't you?"

"I do", Gareki answered shortly, but leaned slightly against the warm body next to him.

Yogi slung his arms around the younger boy. "That's fine too, I'll just stay here like that," he answered and took even more space up.

Gareki didn't shift his weight a single millimetre, but flipped a page, "It's fine with me, Yogi."

* * *

Silence settled once again in the room until Akari heard how Gareki closed the book. "I'm finished."

Akari's gaze snapped to him. "You are _finished_?" he asked, unbelieving. Putting the pen aside before settling down on the floor across from Gareki who now had Yogi sleeping on his lap.

"It was only the first 21 pages, right?" Big blue eyes met pink ones and Akari nodded.

He petted the black hair and smiled, "I'll ask questions tomorrow. For now you should wake Yogi and I'll bring you two to the canteen for dinner. Afterwards I'll show you your beds." Gareki's eyes lit up when he began explaining, but Akari's narrowed slightly when their expression morphed into adoration near the end. "Wake him up then."

Akari himself went back to the desk to collect his papers.

* * *

They watched the children, Gareki obviously more comfortable with eating and Yogi still as comfortable. _They_ weren't comfortable though. "Gareki worries me," Akari spoke plainly. "He is nowhere near as confident as he was."

Hirato nodded pensively. "A lot of things haven't happened yet. For Yogi this is a trip. I'm not sure what Gareki believes this is, but until now it should be a vacation."

Akari agreed. "I've been thinking whether it would be logical not to look for a solution to this problem. They seem happy. Gareki could get a childhood; Yogi could learn what happened with the help of a child psychologist so his personality doesn't split."

"The Z-table wouldn't like it." Hirato pointed out, "Though personally, I would agree with you – for a change."

Akari shrugged slightly. "Gareki seemed happy about something as simple as a bed. He seemed confused about having enough food. I couldn't care less what the council thinks." He paused for a moment, "You heard what they said about them and you know how good they were for each other."

Hirato's expression was serious, "Of course I know," but then it became slightly amused. "I believe you should save Gareki, Yogi will embarrass him otherwise." Akari's eyes jumped back to the children in the canteen. Yogi was just in the process of cuddling Gareki more affectionate than before.

"I think Gareki will be able to handle it."

* * *

Akari sat on the edge of the bed, book in hand. Gareki and Yogi were tightly cuddled into each other and somehow this brought a small smile on Akari's lips. "Sleep well you two", he told them and pulled the blanket a bit higher.

He stood up, throwing a last gaze on the beds, Hirato and he had pushed together earlier, because Gareki had insisted that Yogi couldn't sleep with him because surely the adults wouldn't allow that. Now, Yogi still seemed more at ease with the situation, one arm and one leg slung around Gareki, something he had done in the past as well.

Akari petted Gareki's hair once more and put the fairy tale book on the bedside cabinet. Everything else had time for tomorrow.

One day after another and, he mused when he closed the door, when that wasn't enough Gareki just destroyed his ID and let himself and the person who was closest to him start over.

* * *

As mentioned on Tumblr, this could develop into a small summer project if enough readers can be found. (If there aren't enough this could as well stay an One Shot, though without any ships.) What also should be added is that this was more or less written to cheer someone up, so this was written in round about half an hour...

So reviews literally decide what happens with this story (as do likes/answers/reblogs with the other _Imagine_'s on my Tumblr blog).

Sincerely, Mal


End file.
